Safety first with ŠKODA, as families hit the road this Christmas

18/12/2015

Parents in the UK spent a whopping £997 million* in 2015 on food, drink and other items to keep their kids occupied on long car journeys, according to new research. And yet, the study by ŠKODA UK shows, many families don’t carry out vehicle safety checks before they set off.

Milton Keynes, 18 December 2015 - The poll** of more than 2,000 parents was conducted ahead of the Christmas period, during which many thousands of families hit the road for their seasonal visits to see family and friends.

Kids will certainly be well fed and watered, as ŠKODA’s research uncovers that having the right drinks (67 per cent) and choice of snacks (60 per cent) are parents’ top long-distance concerns. This is compared to checking tyre pressures (57 per cent), lights (41 per cent) and brakes (35 per cent).

It comes at a price too. For food, drink, magazines, CDs, DVDs, smartphone apps and other items, parents fork out more than £166*** every year. Across the UK’s six million**** car-driving families, purchases therefore add up to al​most £1 billion.

When asked how recently they’d checked tyre pressures, almost a fifth (19 per cent) of respondents said they hadn’t done so in more than six months.

Furthermore, a tenth of those surveyed said they’d never checked engine fluid levels, and around the same number (13 per cent) couldn’t recall checking their car’s brakes. When it came to engine warning lights, nearly two thirds (65 per cent) of people could not identify the signal for when their engine is overheating.

Warren Richards, Head of Service and Parts Operations at ŠKODA UK, said: "During the Christmas break, families will be packing up the car ready for visiting relatives all over the UK. And while we know that the cars will be well stocked with items to stave off kids’ boredom on the long journeys, it’s easy to forget to ensure your car itself is ready for the same journey.

“Drivers should be checking tyres, brakes, lights and fluid levels as standard, all of which can be done simply and for free. For extra peace of mind, however the ŠKODA Winter Health Check gives our customers peace of mind that their vehicles are in perfect condition. Our fully-trained ŠKODA technicians deliver an outstanding service and a hassle-free experience, so there’s one less thing to worry about when planning family journeys.”

For just £25, ŠKODA customers can book their cars in at one of ŠKODA's 134 retailers across the UK for a seven-point Winter Health Check. Fully trained technicians will check tyres, lights, brakes, wiper blades, air-conditioning, batteries and fluids to ensure that their vehicle is ready for any winter journey.

To find out more about booking a Winter Health Check and ŠKODA’s servicing and parts offers, visit
www.skoda.co.uk or speak to your local ŠKODA retailer.

* £166.19 multiplied by six million families with cars = £997,140,000** ŠKODA UK commissioned Censuswide to speak to 2,000 parents in the UK who also own a car. The research was conducted in September 2015*** The £166.19 is made up of average annual spends per family on snacks (£38.52), full meals (£48.16), drinks (£36.83), games, film and music (£24.46) and other (£18.22)**** The Office for National Statistics estimates (2014) that there are eight million households in the UK with ‘dependent children’; the DfT estimates that 75% of households have a car – hence, our estimate is that there are six million households with dependent children and a car

ŠKODA's appearance at the Shanghai Motor Show 2017 (19 – 28 April) is characterized by electric change: With the Vision E study, the company provides its first brand-specific outlook on the future of individual mobility. The emotionally designed five-door SUV coupé can travel up to 500 kilometres on purely electric power and meets the level 3 requirements for autonomous driving. ŠKODA is intensively pursuing the electrification of its model range, and will be offering five purely electric models in various segments by 2025.

ŠKODA DESIGN emphasises its commitment to a distinct design identity with continuous development of its design language. Harmonious proportions, clean-cut lines, bold contours and crystalline features are combined to create a design that places a focus on precision and clarity. One of the sources of inspiration for ŠKODA's designers is Czech crystal glass art, which is characterised by outstanding craftsmanship. This yields an expressive, emotionally charged design which harmoniously combines aesthetics and functionality.

Less
cylinder capacity, more power. In the ŠKODA FABIA and ŠKODA FABIA ESTATE, a 1.0
TSI engine with three cylinders and four valves is replacing the 1.2-litre
engine with four cylinders that has been used to date. The new engine offers more
power. The power output of the ŠKODA FABIA 1.0 TSI is 95 PS, while the output
of the more powerful version is at 110 PS but offers an improved torque figure of
200 Nm (previously 175 Nm). Downsizing offers another advantage: the engine’s
fuel consumption has been reduced by up to six per cent. One reason for this is
the three-cylinder engine concept with a reduced weight of the free inertial
forces and a more efficient oil pump. The revised ŠKODA FABIA and ŠKODA FABIA
ESTATE will be introduced to the public for the first time at the Geneva
International Motor Show (7-19 March 2017).

ŠKODA has delivered its two-millionth vehicle in China. The milestone vehicle is a ŠKODA SUPERB with a 1.4 TSI engine in Polar White. Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing, handed over the brand's flagship to customer Li Hongan in Shanghai. China is the largest single market for the long-established Czech brand. In 2017, ŠKODA is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its entry into the Chinese market.

ŠKODA is enhancing the elegant and affordable family favourites ŠKODA RAPID and ŠKODA RAPID SPACEBACK with numerous innovations. New lighting systems ensure even greater safety. Passengers are 'always online' thanks to an available WLAN hotspot. The new programme includes two efficient 1.0-TSI engines with three cylinders. The upgraded models will be presented to the public for the first time at the Geneva International Motor Show (7 – 19 March, 2017).